First published in 1987. Often the best known and most memorable passages in Shakespeare's plays, the soliloquies, also tend to be the focal points in the drama. Twenty-seven soliloquies are examined in this work, illustrating how the spectator or reader is led to the soliloquy and how the drama is continued afterwards. The detailed structure of each soliloquy is discussed, as well as examining them within the structure of the entire play - thereby extending the interpretation of the work as a whole.

This superlative collection offers timeless speeches from A Midsummer Night's Dream, Twelfth Night, Much Ado About Nothing, Macbeth, King Lear, Romeo and Juliet, Richard III, and more.

Your one-stop classical workshop! At last, over 175 of Shakespeare's finest and most performable monologues taken from all thirty-seven plays are here in two easy-to-use volumes (Men and Women). Selections travel the entire spectrum of the great dramatist's vision, from comedies, wit and romances, to tragedies, pathos and histories.

Provides the first systematic and comprehensive account of the conventions governing soliloquies in Western drama from ancient times to the twentieth century. Over the course of theatrical history, there have been several kinds of soliloquies. Shakespeare's soliloquies are not only the most interesting and the most famous, but also the most misunderstood, and several chapters examine them in detail. The present study is based on a painstaking analysis of the actual practices of dramatists from each age of theatrical history. This investigation has uncovered evidence that refutes long-standing commonplaces about soliloquies in general, about Shakespeare's soliloquies in particular, and especially about the to be, or not to be episode. 'Shakespeare and the history of Soliloquies' casts new lights on historical changes in the artistic representation of human beings and, because representations cannot be entirely disentangled from perception, on historical changes in the ways human beings have perceived theselves.

Presents a collective study of all of Shakespeare's soliloquies by defining the soliloquy, classifying the soliloquies and presenting them as revelations of thought and feeling.

A unique collection of Shakespeare's soliloquies, each introduced by concise and informative editorial notes. This is an edition to complement the highly successful SHAKESPEARE'S SONNETS and is published in commemoration of Shakespeare's birthday. Aperfect book for Shakespeare lovers and enthusiasts.

Seminar paper from the year 2009 in the subject English Language and Literature Studies - Literature, grade: 1,0, University of Vechta, language: English, abstract: William Shakespeare ́s ́Hamlet ́ is of great cultural significance. It was published around 1600/1601, marking the transition from the 16th to the 17th century. It reflects upon spiritual and cultural conflicts of the Elizabethan period more intensively than any other literary work. It includes a variety of philosophical, theological, political, literary and general references. With Hamlet, a new form of interiority is born, "the sense of being inside a character ́s psyche and following it ́s twists and turns." This interiority is predominantly shown to the audience by the use of soliloquies. Shakespeare ́s lifework includes a great variety of soliloquies. Hamlet is commonly associated with one phrase: ́to be or not to be`. In this work, I am going to give an overview of Hamlet ́s soliloquies, concentrating on `to be or not to be ́. Before that, I am going to briefly explain the difference between soliloquy and monologue.

To be or not to be... Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow... O for a Muse of Fire... The quality of mercy is not strained... This sceptred isle... Once more unto the breach dear friends... Many of Shakespeare's greatest and best-loved speeches are brought together in this superb collection, performed by outstanding artists who bring to vivid life words which are an integral part of our language, our culture and our everyday lives.

'Now I am alone,' says Hamlet before speaking a soliloquy. But what is a Shakespearean soliloquy? How has it been understood in literary and theatrical history? How does it work in screen versions of Shakespeare? What influence has it had? Neil Corcoran offers a thorough exploration and explanation of the origin, nature, development and reception of Shakespeare's soliloquies. Divided into four parts, the book supplies the historical, dramatic and theoretical contexts necessary to understanding, offers extensive and insightful close readings of particular soliloquies and includes interviews with eight renowned Shakespearean actors providing details of the practical performance of the soliloquy. A comprehensive study of a key aspect of Shakespeare's dramatic art, this book is ideal for students and theatre-goers keen to understand the complexities and rewards of Shakespeare's unique use of the soliloquy.